§ Mr. GoodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in meeting targets for the proportion of people with disabilities in senior posts in her Department. [145997]
§ Ms HewittIn 2000, benchmarks for staff with disabilities in DTI were set across all grades. Targets set internally for staff in senior civil service were:
Percentage Benchmark for SCS posts 2000 (base year) 3.8 2002 3.9 2004 4.2 2005 4.7 The Cabinet Office publishes statistical information about senior civil servants with disabilities on its website http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/statistics/documents/pdf/ 81W disability-pct03.pdf. This shows that as of 1 April 2003, 4.0 per cent. of DTI HQ staff in the senior civil service had a disability.
I have recently launched the DTI Disability@Work strategy to further improve career opportunities for staff with disabilities. I expect this will benefit staff at all levels and help increase our representation throughout the grades over time.
§ Mr. GoodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will set out the number of employees in her Department who have a disability, broken down by disability type. [148987]
§ Ms HewittThe information requested is in the following table:
Type of disability Number of staff1 Hearing impairment 33 Visual impairment 23 Speech impairment 2— Learning difficulty 5 Mental illness 13 Mobility impairment 70 Physical co-ordination 32 Reduced physical capacity 78 Severe disfigurement 2— Other 29 Total staff with disabilities 287 Total DTI staff 4,031 1 Data as at 1 January 2004. 2 Five or less individuals; the DTI code of practice precludes us from reporting the numbers to preserve confidentiality.